1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image visualization, in which models are used to display information. More particularly, the present invention provides a method, system and program product for performing calculations assigned to the relationships displayed in those models, and for displaying the results of the calculations.
2. Related Art
Image visualization (IV) is the general field of using models to display information. A subset of this field is Focus+Context, which specializes in visualizing data in terms of relationships that remain in view while providing greater detail of the item in focus. A common example is the a hyperbolic tree, in which a selected node moves to the central focus while peripheral nodes remain in view, but off to the side. These types of models are excellent at displaying data relationships, but lack the functionality to perform calculations within those relationships.
A simplistic example of a hyperbolic tree 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this example, the revenue data from individual Sales Region nodes 12 is displayed. Sets of the Sales Region nodes 12 are contained by respective Geography nodes 14 (i.e., United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific), which are themselves contained by the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16. These types of relationships are easily represented in a hierarchical fashion as shown.
The relationships within the hyperbolic tree 10 are defined in terms of Degrees of Interest (DOI) that identify one node's relative position to another. The node in focus is the A Priori Interest (API). In FIG. 1, for example, the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16 is the API. Because the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16 is the API, it is displayed in the center of the hyperbolic tree 10, with the Geography nodes 14 located outside of the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16, and the Sales Region nodes 12 located outside of the Geography nodes 14. In this example, each Geography node 14 has a Degree of Interest that is one level less (DOI: n−1) than the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16 (i.e., the node in focus). Similarly, each Sales Region node 12 has a Degree of Interest that is two levels less (DOI: n−2) than the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16. Further, each Sales Region node 12 has a Degree of Interest that is one level less (DOI: n−1) than its respective Geography node 14. The Total Worldwide Revenue node 16 can thus be considered the “parent” node, while the Geography nodes 14 can be considered to be “children” of the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16, and the Sales Region nodes 12 can be considered to be the “children” of specific Geography nodes 14 and “grandchildren” of the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the hyperbolic tree 10 has been transformed in response to the activation of the “Asia Pacific” Geography node 14. In particular, the Geography node 14 “Asia Pacific” is now the API, located in the center of the hyperbolic tree 10. Typically, a node is activated by clicking on the node using a mouse pointer or the like. Other activation techniques are also possible. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the Total Worldwide Revenue node 16, as well as the remaining Geography nodes 14 (i.e., United States, Europe, and Latin America) and their respective Sales Region nodes 12 remain in view, but off to the side of the “Asia Pacific” Geography node 14.
While currently available IV models, such as the hyperbolic tree 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are adequate at communicating hierarchical relationships between data, the IV models are not capable of analyzing the data within the context of those relationships. As such, there exists a need for an IV model that is capable of analyzing the data within the context of the relationships displayed by the model, and which is capable of displaying the results of the data analysis.